Net neutrality is an important issue for video game players who use the internet regularly, and today the FCC voted to re-examine the regulations set in place to ensure the unobstructed use of internet that were established in 2015.

It's difficult to simplify the issue of net neutrality, but it basically boils down to whether internet service providers (ISPs) require regulation to keep the internet on an equal footing for all products and websites, or whether ISPs should have the right to make those choices for themselves. Currently, as enforced by rules set in 2015, internet service providers (ISPs) cannot limit bandwidth, or provide faster internet speeds to company that pay more for the privilege. The FCC, specifically from the direction of recently appointed chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, wants to re-examine those rules and lift them, in order to allow ISPs to control internet speeds as they see fit, or potentially, in ways those ISPs see as profitable. Most groups that represent the cable and telecom industry support rolling back the regulations. The Internet Association, which includes companies like Amazon and Netflix, oppose rolling back the regulations.

Today, the FCC voted to re-examine the rules set in place in 2015 to maintain net neutrality and potentially roll them back.This vote opens up a period of public comment leading up to some point in the future when a final decision will be made.

This issue came into the spotlight in particular last week with the aid of John Oliver's HBO show, Last Week Tonight, where the comedian and his team established a website, gofccyourself.com in order to create a simplified avenue for those interested in voicing their opinion about the issue to the FCC. That site is not currently redirecting users to leave comments to the FCC as the FCC is not currently accepting comments, but it will be back up and running soon.

For more on the admittedly complicated issue of net neutrality, you can read some of our previous coverage here.

Our TakeThose opposed to net neutrality argue that little would change if these regulations were rolled back. That begs the question, "Then why are we re-evaluating it?" Additionally, if a company has a choice between a route that is technically not illegal and leads to greater profits at the expense of the average internet users' ability to use the internet, I think I know which call they would make. These are businesses after all.

This is I think the most complicated political issue in the past few years, it forces me to pick a side between power hungry government sticking its dirty fingers in everything vs corrupt businesses which just want to screw me over.

Considering Google of all people are in favor of net neutrality despite it supposedly protecting customers from companies, I'm a bit wary of supporting it since Google is quickly becoming a monopoly in and of itself.

The theory behind repealing it is so weak given Comcast and Verizon's history alone. No startups can exist or gain a foothold and leaving it up to the market is basically letting Comcast and Verizon do what they please.

Net Neutrality benefits the majority of people and businesses. Reversing it has no net positive. This administration is the most anti-American, anti-logic, anti-science, anti-progress group this country has ever not actually voted into office. Every positive advancement we've had in the past 20 years is in danger of being dragged backwards.

"Potential" repeal?
That tool Pai has had a hard-on against Title II regulation since Day One, and the GOP outnumbers the Dems on the FCC Board 2-1. As soon as Trump was elected, net neutrality's days were numbered.
For those in favor of the repeal, I REALLY hope you enjoy it when Comcast or TWC decides to throttle your Netflix or Xbox Live connections because they weren't paid what is essentially a legalized protection racket.

Let the future legal extortion and blackmail by ISPs begin. Won't be long till we see news headlines like "Comcast demands Amazon pay 100 million a month or subscribers will lose access".
These ISPs are salivating at the money they will make.
Ironically, this very reason is why these rules were put into place to begin with.[look up Netflix V. Comcast]
In fact I can't think of a single positive reason why repealing these rules would benefit anyone other than ISPs.

people act like its only businesses that act in self interest, and that politicians are these self leaders who must make decision for the rest of us because were so stupid. Reality check. everyone acts to pursue their self interest. in a free market society (which we dont truly have in America), if you are dissapointed with a service provider, the free market protects you by giving you other options.
i think you should be able to pay to have faster speeds and that isps should be allowed to sell that, but i also believe that than isp doesnt not have the right to throttle bandwidth based on what you use the internet for.

No way in hell is screwing over the entirety of the American populace a good idea.
Net Neutrality protects citizens and businesses. The only people to benefit from killing it are greedy ISP's and the politicians that take money to screw us over.

They are basically saying we don't need laws in place to protect consumers from companies because we can trust ISPs when they say they wont take advantage of us. If that is the case, we should also get rid of anti-piracy laws because we can trust the word of everyone when they promise not to pirate stuff.

"Most groups that represent the cable and telecom industry support rolling back the regulations. The Internet Association, which includes companies like Amazon and Netflix, oppose rolling back the regulations." - Of course to both these statements - Group A would make more money; Group B would have to spend more money. The big loser, though, is the consumer because, in the long run, we're the ones who'll get slammed in the pocket.

"...but it basically boils down to whether internet service providers (ISPs) require regulation to keep the internet on an equal footing for all products and websites, or whether ISPs should have the right to make those choices for themselves..."
No- it boils down to whether you want the free internet that became one of the world's changing achievements of the late 20th/early 21st century, and that has produced everything from a vast source of information, communication, and entertainment prior to 2015, or you want government to tell you who, what, and how can you access online. The whole idea that "net neutrality" helps "content producers" or your "access", never issues prior to 2015, is simply an emotional manipulation to get people who don't want to read the fine print of the regulations to accept as a good idea a government bureaucracy controlling something became what it is on its own.
"Those opposed to net neutrality argue that little would change if these regulations were rolled back. That begs the question, "Then why are we re-evaluating it?"..." That begs an ever more fundamental questions: why need "net neutrality" at all to begin with? Considering that what was promoted as the 'benefits' of net neutrality is everything you experienced and enjoyed just fine without gov intervention for over two decades prior to 2015, why give some people in Washington control over the web to solve a non existent problem?
It is sad the GameInformer is not really 'informing' about this but rather pushing the same BS a British comedian and his ill informed writers do. I bet Hilliard is also against large corporations lobbying for contracts and special favors from politicians and here you are pushing the massive lobbying of big corporations like Facebook and Google, among others, who would be the ones getting the benefits of the rules, not the 'consumer'. "Net Neutrality" is anything but 'neutral'.
If you want the free internet that became the centerpiece of multiplayer gaming back in the 90's, a source of movie streaming back in the 00's, a platform for everyone to freely create content at will for everyone to see, and the center of every activity for the last three decades, then you should support removing the onerous and horrendous "net neutrality" rules from 2015. If you, instead, want government control of what you can access, how can you access it, inflated prices, corporate interests and cronyism making decisions for you, and stalled progress in the technology, like what happened to FCC regulated telephony, by all means click on the comedian's link.